Mowing machine



" March 30, 1926.

1,578,728 M. HAsTINGs MOWING MACHINE Filed Jan'. 11, 1924 2 sheets-snee:1

annua,

March 30 1926.

M. HASTINGS MOWING MACHINE Filed Jan. ll, v19211 2 Sheets-*Sheet 2 279?fa/always,

akmus* Wass. l

v To @ZZ w 7mm t maf] concern Patented Mar. 30, l926.

UNI-TEDA sTAra MARK HAsTINGs, or"` RIDGEFIELD, coNNiic'ricUn t MOWINGMACHINE.

Application filed January 11, 1924. Serial N'o. `685,681.

Be it known that I, MARK Has'iiives, sub- ]ect of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Ridgefield, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MowingMachines, of which the following ,is a specification. 1 y

This invention relates to the art ofhar- Vvesters and has particularreference-to an lto cause the travelling movement of themachine Vand arethereby relieved ofexerting power for causing operation ofthe cutting` fmechanism.

yAn object of the invention is to provide mowing machine of the abovekind that 7 includes a cutting mechanism in which a.

`jected to arduous Vreciprocating cutter bar is embodied and whereinthedriving connection between the length and'posit-ion insuresagainstthe saine' becoming readily damaged er brokenv in the use ofthe machine;y n i ,In prior mowing machines with which Iam familiar,'the` draftanimals are sublabor dueto the factthat the cutting mechanismV is driven,from the traction or supporting Vwheels Yof thema.-

chine necessitating t'he expenditure of power,4 of the `draft animalsnotonly for the for-y wardtravelling movementkof the machine but vforthe operation of the cutting'fmechw,

nism. Such prior machines also embody a relatively long pitman rodforming part of the operative, connection between the traction wheelsand the cutter bar and extend-lL ing substantially orentirely across themachine in suchy position and necessarily ofl such form and lengtlias tobe readily dainaged or broken by striking against firmly embeddedobstructions such as stumps;

stones, etc. A further objection with this,` prior type of machine isthat it is necessary to cause the same to travelforwardly at apredetermined rate of speed yin order to prevent clogging of `thecuttingmechanism and operating gearing therefor and in order to causesufficiently fast reciprocationof the 'cutter bar to insure itseffective cut-- mechanism, andthe operati'veconnection'to ting,operationE When the forward travel of the machine is effected to thisspeed,it

is practically impossible for the operator 1 to determine whetheroriiotheis approachingl an obstruction that is likely to cause damage.to the parts of the machine Vsuch as` the above mentioned pitinan rod,and the inevitable resultis the rendering of the machine inoperative andcost-ly and time consuming necessary repairs. An object ofthe,presentinventioii is, therefore, to-pro, `'vide a mowing machinewhich will befree Y of the above notedv objections, the cuttingmechanism 'operatingat the lsaine uniform v sneed at all `timesirrespective of theV speed cf forwardtravel of the machine, nol yexer-Vtion 'being necessaryon the-part of v the draft y animals forcausingop'erationrof the cutting i the cut-ter bar embodying a relatively shortpitman disposed so as. to be vprotected and less likely `to be'engagedwith obstructions. 'lhe machine may be drawn` forwardly at.k

l I a comparatively slow rate of speed without'f operating motor and thecutting bar ink cludes a relatively short pitman .whose affecting theoperation of the cuttinginechanism'or reducing its speed ofoperation soas to be defective 'in ope-ration, and thereby enabling the operator toVvdetermine theapyy proach to an obstruction sol that the cuttingmechanism may be lifted clear o f the same in such niannerfas to `leaveai minimum amount ofuiiiiiowed area.'V v

l A still further ob] ect is to provide a jmow-y ing machine ofAgenerally. simplified and iin'-y 1 proved fornnand one that maybe'inaiiu-r,y -factured and `marketed at a vrelativelyflow cost topresenta lstructure thatis durable v form, combination, and, arrangementAof parts hereinafter more fully describeda ,shown in the accompanyingdrawings, and

claimed. l l

Figure l is a front elevational View, part-l lybrolen aivavr and partlyin sectiomof a ioo mowing` machine constructed vin accordance" with thepresent invention. v FigurefZ is asubstantiallyy central'longif`tudinall sectionalY view thereof talreii upon l the line 2%2Vof'l4`igurelj.

Figure 3 is a top plan viewof ythe device shown in Figure 1.! f'

` Figureiisv a fragmentary view partly in;y 110,Y

means tor 'facilitating hitchingiot drat't aninnils thereto and that isattached to the ariii o in a rigid inaiiner. bg'rbolting oithe like asrat 8? the arm G beingspaced with respect tothe inenrber by means ot asub-k stantially tria'i'igulail web between theeI parts asat 9.structure,embodies another relatirely short tubular meinberld andetenling through the tubular members 5 and .lO is Aa traneverse'axlellythe ends Vot which project bel yond the outer ends o'lfthe inenibcrso and 10 and have suitable tuppo-rting wheels 11 journalled and suitablyretained thereon.

VThe tubular meinber) is provided .with a rearwardly projecting aiin 12substantiallrY knridway between the wl eels 11j and to which the lotverend oitA the usual seat supporting spring employed inagricultural'in/iplements Y i, n

.is secured by bolting or otherwise; at 1 said spring being indicated at1i and cai ,ing upon it-suppei' end the seat 15, and the arm 12 rbeingpreerablyot channel to'in to receive the lowerend ot' the seatsupportingirspi'ing 1-1; asshown more clearly Vin Figure 3. l y n iRotatably mounted upon the outer end ot' the member 10 .is a relativelylarge belt puls ley 1G at the inner side of whichr is a rel-A ativelysmaller bevelled gear 1T that is also concentric with and rigid withsaid pulley 16. rlhe pulley 1G and gear 1i" are thus rotatably mountedvat the inner. side ot the Vadjacent supporting wheel 11a and a panAshaped gear casing 18 is rigid with the inemn bei-Y1() and disposedabout the pulley 16 and geard? so as to protect the latter in an obviousmanner. A suitable platform, 19 is provided rigid with the gear casing18 pren Aerably rearwardly oit the axle 11 and on a higher plane thanvthe latter and suitably n'iounted onthis plat-form 19 is a` smallnioto'r 20 that may be ci' the internal conibus tion type as shown. andthat includes a power shai't 21 rupon the innerend of which is mounteda. Hy wheel and upon the outer end of which is fixed a pulley 23 as thatshown in Figures 2 and l, the pulley 23 being in alignment with andrearwardly ot the pulley 16 and operatively connected to the latter bymeans et a belt 24 passing about said j'nilleys.v rlhev rim ot the gearrl`he traine or supporting v casing 18 is ot' course cut away so as toperl init passage of the belt 2% therethrough' and in order Y tovmaintain the belt Qa'tight, a hand lever 26 is pivoted to the inner sideot the casing 18 and has a rigid arinQT projecting rearwardly from itslower pivoted end, thelarm Q7 being equipped with an idler roller 2Sdisposedaipon the belt 24;? and the gear casing-18'being` formed wit-h arack segment 29 for cooperation with the usual latchV or' the lever Q6for maintaining it adjusted.

lt is thus ap aarent that re'arward swinging movement oit' the lever 2Gmaybe accomplished troni the seat toi causing tightening ot the belt 2lwhich tight condition ot the belt is maintained by reason of vtheengagement ot the latch; oit' the lever 2G with the segment 29. j

Rigid with and projecting t'orwardly and downwar(Y =y from the tubularlnieniber 1() and its gear iasingY 18 a tubular a-rni 30'1 thatterminates adjacent the ground and at a. point slightly in advanceot'theadjacent ground engaging or supporting wheel 11, the arni 30 beingbraced relative to the nu these parts at their point ot' juncture.Vlouis nailed in the arms 80 is' a driven sha'ltV upon the rear end oitwhich is secure; ber# elled gear 33, that meshes with the gear 17,

and that is arranged ifvithingan enlargement ot the arm 30 thatAi''orins a geaijcai'ir indicated at Sel. The lower end-ot the arii jd isprovi vved upon its 'upper-side with a transverte yrigid sleeve Soinwhich 'e'curcd a tran'sif'eisely and outwardly entendii'igV stubr shatt3G, and upon the outer end et this shaitt is suspended'a yoke 23T, thelower' ond ot which is piyoted at 38 upon longitudinal aligned axes toears 39 that are rigid with and project upwardly troni theinn'er one ofa pair of spaced groundengaging slices or runners 110.V The shoes 40 areconnected by a'toothed elongated guard plate'fl oftl well known form,upon which' is lslid-ably disposed the usual transversely extendingi'eci-pi'ocable cutter bar 12, and asy shown clearly in the `severalviegs,l the cutterbar and guard plate torni cutting element-s ot thecutting mechanism that entend outwaidf. ly from the arm 30 directly l.intrent of the adjacent supporting wheel 11n. As the cnttei bar t2terminates adjacent the lower end of the arm 30 and. as the arm 30 isdispo,;ed

adjacent and at the inner side of the aforesaid supporting wheel 11-, no'relatively long pitinan is require'dfor operrdively connect` ing .l hecutter bar tothe lower end ofthe sin se. the lore utilized to connectthe inner end ot the cutter' Lbar 42 with va crank element or disc lathat is lixed upon the lower end ot the driyen shaft 82 as sho-wnelea'rlyhin the several viewss which pit-man is shielded by the Vinner:shoe 40 and disposed directlyl in A relatively short pitman 43 so'A eobei' l0 by meansI et a web 31 connectingico' llt)

ieo

' damage Atrom obstructions.

front of the adjacent supporting Wheel 11", so that the same is-notsubjected to serious The forward year 39 is provided with a rigidupwardly and outwardly extending arm 45, and this arm is operativelyconnected With an arm 46 that is rigidvvith the lower pivoted end of alongitudinally swinging hand lever 47 by any suitable means such as aflexible element or chain 48 that passes around a suitable guide as at49, the handl lever 47 being mounted upon the real-fend ofthe drafttongue 7, and having a conventional form` of latch cooperating with alnotched segment 50 for a Well known pur pose. Any suitable means may beprovided for bracing the guard plate al andthe cutter Y bar 42 lagainstvforward or rearward strain.

In operation, the motor 2O isst-arted, and

' dueto the fact vthatpulleys 16 and gear4 l? are rotatable upon themember Vl() relative to the axle 11 and the adjacent supporting tive,and by reason of that fact, a slow travel of the machine may be caused,so that the operator may have ample-time to note approach toobstructions when mowing over rough ground or ground filled with obstructions. f This VWill give the driver sufficient time to liftthe cuttingmechanism by tilting lthe same `laterallyl about the' pivots" 38 throughthe medium of a rearward swinging movement oftheleverfa'". Insomefinstances, the obstructions maybe cleared by simply vdevia'tingslightlyV from the original It Y -course of the machine in its travelsoasfto" let the obstructionpass at: the inner side of the arm 30. Thiswill prevent. striking of the pitman 23 Without leaving an unduly largeunmowed area, and this could not be i accomplished by prior machinesemploying pitmans that extend entirelyfacross the ma-v chine from onesupporting Wheel gto fthe.

other.' I`Otherwise, the operation of the nia-1 chine 1s substantiallythe same as that ot prior devicesof ,this kind. Itis therefore believedthaty the construction and operation as Well as the advantages of thepresent in' i gvention will be V.readily understood and ap-Y preciatedby those skilled in the art. hat I lclaim las nenr iis:

supported axle, ahousing rotatably/:mounted upon V,the axle andprovidedwith afcas'ing section, a platform mounted upon thecasing section, anengine` supported on said platform, a belt Wheeljournaled upon thehousing and disposed' Withinfthe casing section,v la second belt Wheeloperatively connected With the'engine, said casing section provided withan opening, a belt trained over ythe Wheels and extending through theopening, an extension of tubular formation provided on the housing, acutting apparatus pivotally attached to the housing` extension, a shaftin the extension connected lWith'the cuttingapparatus, and gearingoperatively connecting the vshaft With thelirst wheel.

In'testimony whereof I aiiiX myfsignature.

,MARK Hasirnios,

' 'ce A mowing` machine including am wheeled

